Chapter 58
Coffee
Ana and Kate POV
It's 6 am and I'm awake and ready for some tea. Kate is still asleep, at least I think she is. I wonder what happened last night between Rhi and Alex. God it was so sad to see her like that. I wish I could do something to help take away her pain. I know Kate feels the same. Unfortunately, we can only do so much.
Alex seems to be good for her, so far, I only hope he stays around. He makes her happy, or so it seems. On the other hand, she seems to stress him the hell out. Believe me, we feel his pain. She drives us nuts, which is why we aren't with her all the time. We need a break from her madness too.
At least now he knows what happened to her hand and we don't have to hide it anymore. That was the hardest part because Luke has been such a royal pain in the ass and has been highly detrimental to her mental health. Had he not decided to pull his stunt we wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. You can bet your boots Christian and I are going to have a little chat when we return home. We're not out of the woods yet, we still need to get her hand looked at.
Kate stirs and rolls over. "You're awake too, huh? Come on, let's go out and get some tea and coffee."
We get up and head out to the kitchen where I start the water in the teapot on the stove and Kate starts the coffee maker. I look towards the window and see the sky. The sun isn't up yet. It looks like it will be a beautiful sunrise with the colors already starting to show. The sky is dark but on the horizon pinks and purples are blending together. It looks like a postcard with the lights of the Strip down below.
I notice a dark shadow sitting on the couch and silently walk over to it. I stop in my tracks when I see Alex sitting on the couch, holding Rhi while she sleeps. Turning his head, he looks at me and gives me a sad smile. He looks so tired.
I whisper, "Have you been here all night?"
He nods and looks down at Rhi's sleeping body.
"Did you sleep at all?" I ask.
Silently, he shakes his head.
I ask quietly, "Do you want some coffee?"
Again, he silently nods his head.
The way he answers my questions with just a nod and shake of his head amuses me for some reason. I fight to control a laugh that's bubbling up so I don't offend him. I nod back and give him a smile. The teapot starts to whistle as I enter the kitchen and I remove it immediately. Rhi looks so peaceful asleep that I don't want to wake her. She needs her rest.
The coffee is almost ready and Kate has her cup set up all ready so I pull out two cups and hand one to Kate and keep one for myself. While my tea steeps, for a few seconds, I lean back on the counter, "They've been sitting there all night. Rhi is sound asleep but Alex hasn't slept at all. The poor guy looks exhausted. I think he needs to sleep for a while before he leaves today." I watch her reaction but there really isn't one. "Maybe we'll order up breakfast too. Remember, she has that doctor coming today at 9 am. Luckily, it's here and she doesn't have to go anywhere."
I watch as Kate looks over to where Rhi and Alex are sitting, a melancholic look across her face. "You know, he's got to be one of the sweetest guys I've ever met. I think he's really good for her. I'd like to see how he feels after last night's revelations. It seems like he's OK with it, the way he's holding her, but looks can be deceiving." Turning to face me she continues, "I mean, Rhi looks and acts perfectly normal. For her." She winks with a smile. We're both silent for a moment before she continues again, "Unfortunately, there's an underlying rip tide that can pull her under in the blink of an eye. Like I said, when we were grabbed by Luke and the guys on the street and she snapped, if it wasn't so sad or scary it would be funny to watch. It IS impressive, and definitely interesting to watch. We definitely need to call Dr. Cameron for an emergency session when we get home. I'd call now but there are three days left and who knows what can happen."
We're interrupted by the sound of the coffee pot indicating it's ready. Kate pours herself and Alex a cup. I watch as she walks over to him and offers him the cup. He takes it from her with the hand that's not under Rhi's head, careful not to spill it. He takes a sip, looks down at Rhi and sighs as he holds the cup.
I wonder what he's thinking?
I look out the window and notice the sun is coming up and the darkness starts to fade. One by one the stars fade into the light. Rhi stirs but doesn't sit up. The way she's fidgeting it's obvious she's struggling with something. Not knowing what's wrong I walk over and see that she's trying to open her eyes but they're almost sealed shut from her dried tears. Heading back to the kitchen, I grab a washcloth and run it under some hot water and walk back over to her and kneel down. Slowly and gently I start to wipe her eyes and face. Once I'm done, she opens her eyes and looks at me and smiles.
"Thank you Ana. I love you."
I smile back at her, "You're welcome Rhi. I love you too." I give her a kiss on the forehead. When I stand up I look at Alex and give him a wink before walking away once again.
Entering the kitchen, I head to the sink and start to rinse out the washcloth as Kate says quietly, "You know, I've noticed that as soon as the sun comes up, Rhi wakes up. It's almost like an automatic switch. Either that or she somehow knows that the stars fade with the memory of her conversations with her dad. Either way, it's interesting."
Looking over at the couch I see that Rhi still hasn't moved but she is waking up. Alex is still sitting quietly, drinking his coffee. Rhi finally raises her head and looks up at him and he looks down to her.
"Hi." She whispers.
"Hi." He quietly says back.